Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Singapore, a new beginning on the road to a new free and democratic Singapore

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The recently held elections came as a pleasant surprise, not only to me but I am sure to many others.

Lee Kuan Yew's PAP's electoral majority has been reduced to the lowest number for decades, a mere 60% with the opposition's 40%.

Not just that, Aljunied GRC with Lee's Foreign Minister and other PAP big wigs dislodged as well as the Hougang Constituency retained by the opposition, which means 6 Opposition people in Parliament.

What this means, in the Singaporean sense, where it was unthinkable even for one opposition candidate to be elected, is simply a miracle but I am glad to say, it will be not just one miracle this time, but it going to be the norm in the future.

The tide has finally turned. The Singaporean is no longer the timid soul that Lee and his friends in high places can merely dismiss.

Now whether they like it or not Lee Kuan Yew and his bully boys have to tread carefully and not just dismiss them as mere "digits" as he has done for the last 52 years.

I personally take credit for this victory by my actions in the past, this blog Singapore Dissident which I guarantee will continue and my future actions which will continue to expose their injustices, rousing Singaporeans even further.

I want to thank Singaporeans who have made this possible and I promise the people of Singapore that I will continue with this blog as well as in any other way to resist and expose Lee Kuan Yew's tyrannical dictatorship which I am sure at the rate it is declining will fall in no time, when a new beginning will emerge with a truly independent and free Singapore.

I am sure Singapore Dissident has hurt Lee's regime and is at least in some way responsible for this opposition victory. It is impossible to tell to what extent Singapore Dissident has contributed to this but I am sure it has.

Singapore Dissident is available to the Singaporean reader through the Internet. Unlike many other blogs which are equally critical, many appear anonymous hiding the author's identity.

This fear to identify oneself, reduces the effect of these blogs although it must be said that they do contribute to the political dialogue.

Singapore Dissident on the other hand, because it is written openly with the name address and other particulars of the author stated for all to see, is far more effective against this regime for the following reasons.

Firstly, because this dictatorship relies on the fear factor in Singaporeans, when Gopalan Nair openly writes his criticism without fear, the regime becomes helpless against this new phenomenon.

Of course Gopalan Nair can do this because he is beyond the borders of Singapore making it difficult for Lee to employ his dirty tactics to destroy him, but still, as Singaporeans get to read what he writes, thanks to the Internet, the damage to the Lee Kuan Yew company is devastating.

Second, the contents of Singapore Dissident is a permanent record of it's writings which makes what has been said in it's pages, available for Singaporeans and people all over the world in perpetuity. It's pages are copied and distributed and recorded not only in Singapore but all over the world.

Third, the accusations that Gopalan Nair makes in them, such as a corrupt dishonest Singapore judiciary being ever beholden to the Lee Kuan Yew family rather than the law; the shameless recent spectacle of Judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean shamelessly abusing and distorting the law in cohorts with Lee Kuan Yew's lawyer Davinder Singh to punish Chee Soon Juan are facts which anybody who is aware of Singapore's pathetic dictatorship will be fully aware.

Gopalan Nair is openly stating facts which are true which are there for all to see, which is what hurts this oligarchy the most as it is difficult to ignore what he says.

I am overjoyed with the outcome at these elections. And I hope this momentum towards freedom and democracy continues without a hitch.

I believe it is the duty of everyone who can in some way contribute to democratic change in Singapore to do his part. Change may be slow or fast, it does not matter, but what matters is for one to persevere against tyranny, against injustice and against corruption as is Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore.

I am not sure who it is who said these words but I believe in them, "Speaking against injustice is itself a noble act".

I understand from speaking to many in Singapore that the people have changed, they are no longer the timid souls that they were in the past.

Many are willing to openly declare their support for the opposition because the Lee regime have stopped persecuting and victimising opposition supporters as they did in the past, by dismissing them from their jobs and destroying their futures.

I believe they have stopped their dirty tactics because far too many Singaporeans are today openly declaring their opposition to them, making it impossible to punish everyone. You could say, they have simply ran out of ideas.

And with the emboldened Singaporean in the new Singapore, I would urge you to now engage in peaceful civil disobedience to accelerate the change to democracy. Remember these actions are completely lawful under the Constitution.

These are some of my ideas that may be useful. 1) Wear Tshirts with the words "I am an Opposition Supporter" or "Down with the the Singapore Dictatorship", or "I voted for the opposition" or something along those lines. 2) Sell these T shirts openly in public places 3) Accept donations to print these Tshirts and other political work. It may be illegal under Lee's law to accept donations but just go ahead and break that unjust law 3) Hold public protests without permits 4) Make speeches in public without permits 4) Do anything you have to do which you know is morally right even if they are illegal under Lee's unjust laws.

I am sure if a few of you did this, many others will follow and the movement will take off. Remember there are many smart people out there in Singapore who are aware of these injustices and who would be prepared to act.

Remember, as in all democratic movements for change, it only takes a handful of people for it to turn into a flood. In Yemen, the democracy activists started of with a lone woman holding up a placard in Sa'ana, which has become what it is today, hundreds of thousands. And the only reason why the lone woman protester became hundreds of thousands was because justice was on her side.

Justice is on the side of the Singapore opposition, not the Lee Kuan Yew family. Please don't forget that.

And lastly don't be taken in by these statements from the government that Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chock Tong have resigned from the Cabinet. I can tell you this. As long as Lee Kuan Yew is alive, he will still continue to rule over you. Nothing is going to change.

It is you who has to seize power. Lee Kuan Yew is not going to give it to you, as long as he is breathing.

Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

No Singaporean will say that you are a coward for continuing to write on behalf of Singaporeans from overseas.

The removal of Lee Kuan Yew and his puppet Goh is only the beginning. SCORE: Gopalan 1: LKY 0

Soon, they will be out of the public eyes (I hope) because without the Cabinet coverage, they are just local members working on local issues. This will be very very hard for Lee Kuan Yew to get used to, esp without the Dowager's support and advice.

LKY is too old for presidency.LHL the back-door entry PM will find it harder to convince Singaporeans that he has a younger team that can run Singapore. Some members of his teams are under scrutiny for their dodgy rise to politics.

What is the future of Singapore?Very bleak ever since I learnt that political education will be taught in schools. The rojak Singapore politics will not work!

I wasn't overjoyed at the results though. I wanted at least 3 more GRCs fall to the opposition. 6 opposition candidates vs 81 PAP bootlickers... It won't be enough. The PAP will still push their away around. But of course it's better than PAP winning them all. I would not hesitate to leave if that's the case.

If you think Lee Kuan Yew will not push his way around even with 70 opposition candidates, you do not understand Singapore. Regardless of how many opposition, he controls the police, the army, the courts, the judges, the newspapers, everything. They will do what he says, not what Parliament says. These oppostion candidates are only the first step. What you need to do is to force Lee to submit. That is going to be hard.

For me, the answer lies in mass civil disobedience. Without that you will continue skirting the edges like the past 52 years.

I read with interest and some surprise at your rather optimistic post in ages, on political developments in Singapore. I would have thought, given the logic you've been expounding in your previous posts, you would have seen the election outcome as a regression for the opposition and just wayang, since the big winner is the Worker's Party, a party whose current leaders (Mr. Low Thia Khiang and Ms. Sylvia Lim) you've charged as a proxy-opposition approved by the PAP. I feel it's a huge insult to all Singaporeans and the Worker's Party, for you to "take credit for this victory", when you're merely a speck of a left-wing voice in the multitude of voices in Social Media. And what more, an American citizen tucked away in his safe-house in America, where he can't help with the campaign efforts of any of the political parties in Singapore on the ground.

It seems to me from your angry writings, that you have a personal vendetta against Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, Judge Belinda Ang and the Worker's Party as well, no doubt a result of the acrimonious split between Mr. Low and Mr. Jeyaretnam.

But of course, this comment wouldn't see the light of public view, since blog comments are moderated heavily here on the blog of an American citizen who supposedly values freedom of expression.

"American citizen" true, but you forgot to mention, born in Singapore, contested 2 elections, continually hounded and persecuted for his political activities both criminal and lawyer disciplinary, given refuge by the United States, and adopted US Citizenship for their kindness.

You also forgot to mention, a lawyer with a successful law practice and 3 children all with college degrees, and independant minds, things which would not have been possible in Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore.

A very qualified candidate to criticize your fascist style government and their corrupt judicial system, I would have thought.

And as for you, since you obviously think you have made some valid points, why the need to hide your identity by being anonymous? Somthing to hide perhaps? A Lee Kuan Yew agent ordered to write these things perhaps? And what better way to come out unscathed, if your government falls in the end?

Followers

About Me

Determined to find the Truth.
Born Singapore, educated Winstedt School 2 (next to Monks Hill in Newton, Singapore) Raffles Institution, National Service, some travel in Europe, then law studies England, return to Singapore, practiced for 10 years, active Workers Party member, stood elections 1988 and 1991 in Singapore, was harassed and persecuted by Lee Kuan Yew for my political beliefs, left for USA, obtained asylum and admitted California State Bar, practice law ever since in Fremont California near San Francisco. Relinquished Singapore citizenship 2005 because I was not prepared to permit Lee Kuan Yew to unjustly retain my CPF funds if I remained Singapore Citizen. On principle, the only correct thing for me to do was to give it up, for my CPF funds. I am an American Citizen as of 2004.